1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of structural systems for elevating surface materials such as for elevated floors, decks and walkways.
2. Description of Related Art
Elevated building surfaces such as elevated floors, decks, terraces and walkways are desirable in many interior and exterior environments. One common system for creating such surfaces includes a plurality of surface tiles, such as concrete tiles (pavers), stone tiles, clay tiles, ceramic tiles, or wood tiles, and a plurality of spaced-apart support pedestals and/or joists or stringers upon which the tiles are placed to be supported above a fixed surface. For example, in outdoor applications, the surface may be elevated above a fixed surface to promote drainage, to provide a level structural surface for walking, and/or to prevent deterioration of or damage to the surface tiles.
Although a variety of shapes are possible, in many applications the surface tiles are rectangular in shape, having four corners. In the case of a rectangular shaped tile, each of the spaced-apart support pedestals can therefore support four adjacent surface tiles at the tile corners. Stated another way, each rectangular surface tile can be supported by four pedestals that are disposed under each of the corners of the tile. Large or heavy tiles can be supported by additional pedestals at positions other than at the corners of the tiles.
The pedestals can have a fixed height or can have an adjustable height such as to accommodate variations in the contour of the fixed surface upon which the pedestals are placed or to create desirable architectural features. Various types of support pedestals are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,363,685 to Kugler, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0261329 to Kugler et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,122,612 to Knight, III et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 8,898,999 to Kugler et al., each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. For instance, many types of support pedestals include a threaded base member and a threaded support member that is threadably engaged with the base member to enable the height of the support pedestal to be adjusted by rotating the support member or the base member relative to the other. Support pedestals can also include an extender member (e.g., a coupling or coupler member) disposed between the base member and the support member for further increasing the height of the pedestal, if necessary.